Day 359: Most Nutritious Dish Ever?

Recently, I read that kale is the most nutritious vegetable out there so I've been determined to try to prepare it.  Those stiff, tough leaves have always intimidated me at the farmer's market, but this weekend I decided to give it a go.

I found a recipe for kale and beans on Epicurious and followed it with the following exceptions, per some reviews from people who had prepared it before:  1/2 cup of chicken stock instead of a full cup, 5 cloves of garlic instead of 3, and 2 tsp of sherry vinegar instead of 1.  If you're looking for a hearty vegetarian meal, simply replace the chicken stock with veggie broth and you're sure to enjoy this dish.

I served the kale and beans over some lemony steamed quinoa - another super food that seems to have become a buzz ingredient lately.  Quinoa is a whole grain that packed a protein punch.  I've tried making quinoa lots of different ways and this is my favorite, as it's always light and fluffy.

Boil water in medium sized pot.

Rinse quinoa under cold water and place in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Drain quinoa in a metal strainer.

Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in the pot and place the strainer over the top.

Cover strainer with a dish towel and then the pot lid.

Steam quinoa for 10 minutes.

Remove pot from the heat and remove the lid, leaving the towel in place.

Let quinoa sit for 5 minutes and then flush with a fork.

You can use quinoa as you would rice or couscous, plating saucy foods over the top.  Or, you can toss it with olive oil and the juice and zest of a lemon for a light, zesty side dish.  This is what I did tonight, scooping the kale and bean mixture over the top.  I found the freshness provided by the lemon really lifted up the overall dish.  The way I look at it, kale + quinoa = possibly the most nutritious dish ever!

The (animal) protein that I choose to serve tonight was lamb chops.  I seasoned the rack with S&P and browned it in a pan with hot olive oil.  I then transferred the rack to a baking sheet, coated it with a mixture of minced garlic, finely chopped rosemary, and olive oil, and baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Admittedly, I overdid it a bit.  It was still flavorful and juicy, but lamb should be served medium-rare and mine was medium-well.  This is a result of my desperate fear of poisoning my husband - I figure better overdone than underdone.

All in all - a very successful meal.  The kale was a hit, so I plan to purchase it again in the near future.  Any favorite kale preparations?  Please leave a comment with the details.

Day 357: Last Entry From The Lovely Isa

I have mixed emotions as I approach the end of my blog project.  On one hand, it's been stressful to keep it up, knowing that I had to write an entry each and every night, regardless of how boring my dinner was or how tired I was.  On the other hand, 365daysofdinner.com has challenged me to cook and eat more interesting food and has served as a fun and interesting reflection on a year of my life.  

As I wind things up, I am trying to fit in one last visit to all my favorite restaurants.  Beginning Sunday, Isa closes for its annual summer vacation so tonight is my final entry from my very favorite neighborhood restaurant.

If you've been following along for the past year, you know that Isa is a shared plate place.  There are two dishes that we always get:  baked goat cheese with tomato, basil, & pine nuts and the scallops with pureed potatoes and fresh asparagus.  Our other orders vary, as does the menu, to reflect what's in season.

Our other dishes tonight were lamb chops with diced eggplant and red bell pepper (yummy), gulf shrimp sauteed with lemon and garlic (yummier), and grilled yellowtail with zucchini, red bell peppers, and olives (yummiest!!).  Honestly - that yellowtail is so good that I could eat it at least 3x per week and never tire of it.  

Of course, we will continue to regularly dine at Isa because WE LOVE IT!  But as far as this blog is concerned, we big Isa farewell and offer many thanks for the delicious dinners they served us over the course of the past year!

Day 325: Human Blood Optional

Trader Joe's had some beautiful eggplant yesterday and so the plan was to make moussaka for dinner tonight.  Rather than slice it by hand, I thought I'd use a mandolin that I purchased years ago but never used.  So, instead of slicing BY hand, I sliced MY hand - took the tip right off  my right thumb.  

For me, this meant a lot of blood, pain and discomfort and a potentially deformed thumb for the rest of my life.  For my husband, it meant that he needed to finish making dinner (after attending to my wound like a pro).

He did a marvelous job.  The dish was delicious, despite the disaster beforehand.  The recipe we used was from page 514 of the amazing Gourmet cookbook.  I'd love to provide the recipe for you, but typing is a challenge right now.  Buy the book.  You'll love it.

Day 323: Liquid & Solid Experimentation

I want to love oysters.  People who like oysters are cool and living here in Northern California, loving oysters seems like the right thing to do.  I've had little experience eating them, though, and I have a mental barrier that says "oysters are snot-like".  So, I've decided to try them when the time and place is right and when I'm feeling adventurous.  Tonight was one of those nights.

After an exceedingly lazy day during which we hardly left the house, we ventured out of our neighborhood for dinner to try a new restaurant, Bacar.  I ordered the field green salad and one of each of the two oysters they were offering tonight:  Beausoleil (from New Brunswick, Canada) and Point Reyes (from California).  Surprisingly, I preferred the oysters over the salad, which I found quite bitter.  I squeezed some lemon juice over the oysters and spooned a bit of cocktail sauce on top and even chewed the flesh rather than just swallowing them whole.  Both were good but the Point Reyes, with a fresh flavor that I really enjoyed, was the better of the two.

For my entree, I chose a lamb dish with middle eastern component:  preserved lemon, harissa, and olives.  It was only after ordering that I found out that the dish feature lamb "three ways":  the loin, a lamb sausage, and braised lamb belly.  I was a little worried about that last one, but all of them were really good.

After our entrees we shared a cheese plate and my husband ordered a flight of Scotch.  Brown liquor (scotch, bourbon, whiskey) goes in the same category as oysters - things I currently do not enjoy but which I desperately want to want to learn to love.  My husband quite likes his brown liquor, though, so I always take the opportunity to sip his.  Two out of three were okay, but I still have a ways to go before I love them.

Still, it was a successful night overall.  It was fun to get out of the neighborhood and try a new restaurant and lots of new things, both liquid and solid!

Day 307: Kebad

When I left the gym at 8pm tonight, I wanted something fast, easy, and healthy for dinner.  So, I decided to try Marina & Kebab, a new restaurant that opened in the neighborhood.  I ordered two skewers - one chicken and one lamb - and took them home and paired them with some raw veggies and Trader Joe's white bean hummus.  

The meal met my three requirements:  fast, easy, and healthy.  But unfortunately, it did not meet the most important requirement of all - taste!  I didn't think the meat was seasoned very well and the lamb was a bit tough.  These kebabs were keBAD!  Somehow, the place gets great ratings and reviews on Yelp, so maybe I didn't order the right things.  Maybe I'll try it again, but probably not.

My veggies were good, though.  And that Trader's Joe's hummus is amazing.  The beans are blended with pesto, pine nuts, and olive oil and it's rich, savory, and so delicious.

Day 278: "Why is Jewish Food So Gross?"

That is the question a friend of mine emailed me today.  She was headed to a family member's house tonight to celebrate the first night of Passover and she was not looking forward to the meal.  Upon further probing, I found out that she doesn't care for the way they prepare the lamb and the peas they serve are from a can.  Ah ha!!  Proof once again that you shouldn't blame the food itself for poor flavor or icky texture.  Blame the cook!

Of course there are foods that each of us simply do not care for, no matter how they are cooked.  However, I firmly believe that at least some of the time, it isn't the food item we don't care for - we just haven't had the chance to enjoy it prepared properly.  Here are some sure fire ways to ensure that you (and the people you are serving) will hate what you (and they) are eating.

1.  Boil (or bake or broil or whatever) it to death

2.  Forget to season it

3.  Buy poor quality ingredients

Take that lamb that my poor friend was forced to eat tonight.  I'll admit that lamb has a strong and unique flavor that may not appeal to everyone.  But I'll bet that a good amount of people who currently say "lamb is gross" could be convinced it's delicious if they try a tender, perfectly seasoned lamb chop set ablaze before it's served - like the ones I enjoyed at Mezes tonight.  Mustard crusted lamb chops are delicious too.

And while canned peas may be a good staple to keep in your bunker, they are simply not very tasty.  Nothing beats fresh English peas, especially if they come from your local farmer's market.  Just do not cook them until they are mush.

Speaking of fresh veggies, I enjoyed a lovely Greek salad along with my chops tonight.  Nothing from a can on my plate tonight!

Day 262: Playing Hooky

I took the day off of work today and whenever I do that, I feel that I owe my hard working husband a good home cooked dinner.

We hadn't had lamb in ages, so I made mustard crusted chops.  This is an Emeril recipe that I've made many times before and it's also a hit.

To go with the meat, I made parmesan polenta and sauteed brussels sprouts.  

Polenta (for 2 people):

Boil 2 cups of salted water.  Slowly stir in 1/2 cup polenta and 1T butter and stir constantly until thickened, approximately 4-5 minutes.  Transfer polenta to a metal bowl.   Boil a couple of inches of water in a pot, place the bowl over the top of the pot, and cook the polenta in this double boiler for about 20 more minutes, stirring frequently.  If you'd like, just before serving, you can stir in some grated parmesan cheese or soft goat cheese for added richness and flavor.

Brussels Sprouts:

Trim the sprouts, removing the other layer of leaves, and cut in half vertically.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a stainless steel pan over medium heat.  Place the sprouts in the pan, cut side down.  Sprinkle with salt and allow to cook for a few minutes until the cut side is browned.

Stir the sprouts and turn the heat up to medium-high.  Add a few splashes of orange juice and stir again.  Allow to cook for a few more minutes until sprouts are to the desired doneness.  s

I didn't work hard at the office today but I put a damn delicious meal together, so I'm not a complete slacker!

Day 261: Double Recipe Entry

I make damn good meatballs and today's you're lucky day because I'm going to give you the recipe.  Usually we eat them without pasta, but tonight I boiled up a little bit of whole wheat spaghetti.  I also made some baby broccoli as a side dish and it was beyond delicious.  All in all, a stellar meal tonight.

Meatballs:

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup bread crumbs or panko

1/2 cup cold water (or beef broth if you have some handy)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 lb ground lamb

Place first four ingredients in large bowl, stir together, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Pour a thick layer of olive oil into a pan and place it over a medium-high burner.

Add garlic, parsley, and parm to the egg mixture and mix everything together.  Add meat and use your hands to gently mix everything together.  If it seems too wet to hold together, add some more bread crumbs until you're happy with the consistency.  

Place two jars of your favorite tomato sauce in an oven proof pot and place in the oven at 225 degrees.  I like Classico and use some combination of their tomato basil, roasted garlic, or spicy tomato flavors.  Of course, you can make your own sauce if you prefer, but having tried that a couple of times, I find it's way more effort than it's worth for this particular recipe.

Make balls out of your meat mixture.  I like to make larger ones because you can get them all fried in fewer batches.    I get about a dozen and a half large meatballs out of this recipe.

Place a batch of meatballs in your hot oil and cook until browned.  Turn them and allow the other side to brown and then place them in your pre-heated sauce.  Once all of your meatballs are in the sauce, allow them to cook uncovered for an hour and a half.

Upon serving, grate some more parm or melt some mozzarella over the top.

Baby Broccoli:

1 package of fresh baby broccoli (we purchased ours at Trader Joe's)

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 small shallot bulb, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

Pour a thin coat of olive oil into a pan and warm over low heat.  Add garlic and shallot and saute for a couple of minutes until soft and fragrant.

Add broccoli, season with S&P, and turn heat up to medium-high.  Add half of the wine and stir everything together.  Add the rest of the wine a couple of minutes later, or when you see the initial bit has evaporated.

Stir frequently and cook until broccoli is at the desired doneness.  I like mine to still have a lot of crunch.

This dinner definitely takes some time to prepare, which is what makes it perfect for a Sunday night.  If you're cooking for two, then you will also be blessed with some yummy leftovers which will make dinner preparation a lot easier one night during the week.  Enjoy!

Day 203: Thank Goodness for the Walk Home

We live in an an awesome neighborhood with lots and lots of phenomenal restaurants.  The problem is, we rarely leave the neighborhood due to the lack of taxis in this city and our mutual refusal to act as a designated driver.  So, once in a while I start to get tired of the same old same old, no matter how delicious it is.  Such was the case tonight.  Fortunately, I remembered a neighborhood joint that we hadn't visited in 157 days (a side benefit of keeping this blog is the ability to easily recall such details!).

The Baker Street Bistro has very good food, but what I like best is the atmosphere.  Step into this restaurant and you will feel as though you've been instantly transported to France.  Who doesn't need a little mini-vacation on a Friday night?

My husband and I shared a green salad and the cheese plate to start.  The highlight for me was the disc of walnut crusted goat cheese, followed by deliciously sharp cheddar.  A big wedge of blue cheese offered the pleasant surprise of not being TOO bluey for me (I'm a bit of a blue cheese wimp).  The Emmentaler was the one we both liked least, but to fair, that mild cheese had a lot to compete against compared to the other stronger flavored wedges on the plate.

We also shared our entrees.  I opted for the lamb stew, which was just so appealing after a long, rainy SF day.  It was okay, but lacked the elusive "something".  I probably wouldn't order it again.

My husband chose something from the specials list:  quail stuffed with mushrooms (pictured).  It sat atop a bed of mushrooms, spinach, and diced potatoes - all blessed with super garlicky flavor.  The technique used to prepare the quail was really interesting.  All of the meat had been removed from the quail, minced and seasoned, and returned.  So, the quail looked whole until we cut into it.  Unfortunately, the result was kind of dry, but once it was mixed with the veggies, it was really good.

Of course, as you can imagine, I was totally stuffed after this meal.  Fortunately for us, Baker Street Bistro is a longer walk than most of our usual dinner places.  That walk was much  needed tonight!!

Day 194: One Billion Calories in Disguise

Okay - maybe not a billion, but I track my calories at Sparkpeople.com and I was shocked by how much I supposedly consumed tonight at Mezes.

We shared the vegetarian appetizer plate - which I admit is huge.  It's great though - a couple of bites of lots of delicious things:  feta cheese, tzatziki, babaganoush (which I do not care for and so my hubby gets all of it), pita bread, spanakopita, stewed giant white beans, beets & beet greens, and cheesy zucchini cakes.

Next we shared some smaller dishes:  Greek salad - so simple but so delicious.  We also shared grilled octopus and lamb meatballs (I'm sure you can see why we call them meat logs).  Finally, we shared dessert - galaktobouriko - possibly, the most delicious thing on earth not made from chocolate.  Crispy phyllo dough is wrapped around custard and the whole thing is drizzled with honey.  Words cannot describe.

To top the meal off, we had a bottle of wine.  Once that was done, the bartender finished another bottle off on us.  Then, he served up some dessert wine.  The guys at Mezes know that we love them and they often reward our repeated patronage with free booze.  Of course, that only makes us love them more.  I guess you now know the way to our hearts!

Day 167: Too Busy Cooking to Cook Dinner

Tomorrow is our holiday potluck lunch at work and I'm way too busy making meatballs to worry about cooking dinner.  Good thing we have leftover sausage and veggie mixture from last night!

We also had a bunch of broccoli, so I steamed that and mixed it with the leftovers.

And we always have shrimp in the freezer, exactly for nights like this.  I defrosted a dozen for each of us and then tossed them in a Ziploc bag with the following marinade:  juice of one large lime, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 3 T olive oil, 1/2 tsp sugar, a few shakes from the red pepper flake jar, and S&P. 

After about 10 minutes, I sauteed the shrimp in a pan pre-heated with some olive oil.  They cooked up in just a couple of minutes and dinner was served!

I know that they aren't being consumed at dinner time, but I would hate to deny you the recipe for my incredibly awesome meatballs.  You can get that recipe by clicking here and reading my entry from Columbus Day.  Enjoy!

Day 121: Sneak Peek

Sunday is my favorite day to cook.  I can start early, make something more involved, not feel rushed, and really enjoy the process.  Often, I will make two dishes on Sunday - one for dinner that night and one for later in the week.

That was my plan tonight.  It's been a wet and rainy few days in San Francisco - perfect chili weather.  But more about that tomorrow, since that's when we plan to eat it (everyone knows that chili is better a day or two after you make it).

Tonight's dinner was mustard crusted lamb chops and asparagus.  For the lamb, I revisited an amazing recipe by Emeril Lagasse.  This is a favorite recipe in my house.

For the asparagus, first I parboiled it (4-5 minutes in salted boiling water).  Then, I used some of the sauce from the chili I had cooked earlier in the day to cook it the rest of the way.  All I did was heat up a few tablespoons of the sauce (leaving the meat and beans behind for tomorrow) and then saute the parboiled asparagus in it on very low heat for about 10 minutes.

For the actual chili recipe, you're just going to have to return tomorrow.  Sneak peek tonight - all of the details then!

Day 101: Celebrating Christopher Columbus

What better to eat on Columbus Day than Italian food? It had been awhile since I made meatballs because they are very time consuming so with a whole day off and nothing else planned I went for it.

This recipe has received stellar reviews from everyone who has eaten my meatballs. They are well worth the time and effort. You can make them with 100% beef, but to achieve the best flavor, I highly recommend a mix of meats.

Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground beef, lamb, veal, and/or pork (I always use 1 lb of the leanest ground beef, and then 1/2 each of two more meats, depending on what is available at my butcher shop)
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 jars of your favorite sauce (or your homemade sauce if you’re really ambitious!)

Crack eggs into a large bowl and beat gently. Add water and breadcrumbs, mix, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients except for the meat, and mix until blended. Crumble the meat into the bowl and mix everything together with your hands. Form balls - whatever size you like. I’ve made small ones served with toothpicks at cocktail parties and large ones served as entrees or over pasta.

Pour 1/4 inch of olive oil into a saucepan and heat on medium-high temperature. Once the oil is hot, place a batch of meatballs in, being sure not to crowd them. Flip them over as their bottoms brown.

Meanwhile, pour the sauce into a large baking dish and place the dish in an oven pre-heated to 225 degrees. After the meatballs are browned on both sides, place them in the baking dish and tuck them into the sauce.

Once all of the balls are in the sauce, bake for 1.5 hours. I like to place a layer of provolone or mozzarella over the top at that point and then serve once the cheese is melted (3-4 minutes later).

From start to finish, this project will take you more than 2 hours. But like I said, it’s worth it - whether you choose to serve bite-sized ones (add another 1/2 hour to your prep time!) or just serve these “as is” for dinner. you’ll be sure to impress. Christopher Columbus would be proud.